Handloader April - May 2025

I hesitated to write this article originally for many different reasons. At first, it was necessary to spend more time behind the rifle and test more loads. Then, it was because of an issue that reared its head during testing. Then, it was because I had not hunted or had enough field time behind the rifle. Before I knew it, I had been using this rifle extensively for well over a year, which is why this rifle is now the subject of this article. ...Read More >

If there is a sweet-spot powder for handloaders who are looking for efficient loads, Alliant Unique is a good example. Ask a Cowboy Action shooter what they are loading in their 38 Special single actions, and more than a few will say they choose Unique. They may also add that it has been hard to find lately. Shooters World is aiming to fix that with a Czech-made propellant they are calling Ultimate Pistol. ...Read More >

Q: I truly enjoy Handloader magazine and especially appreciate the insight and load information you offer for many different cartridges. I finally found a Ruger manufactured Marlin Model 1895 SBL chambered in 45-70 Government. This is my first rifle in that caliber. To date I have fired about 60 rounds of standard factory loads with the 300-grain JHP bullet and am really liking this rifle. I would like to load the cartridge to its full potential with heavier bullets, but I have read conflicting information about safe loads. Some sources list loads that far exceed the pressures found in my Speer Reloading Manual No. 14, which shows maximum loads with a pressure of 28,000 CUP. Is the Speer manual correct that handloads should not exceed their suggested pressure limits? What is your opinion on maximum load pressures? ...Read More >

When handloaders and hunters who began their careers in the 1950s and 60s hear the name Nosler, it brings only one thing to mind: the great Nosler Partition bullet. Conceived by avid hunter John Nosler, it consisted of two individual lead cores separated by an integral partition formed in the jacket between the two. The jacket wall thickness at the front was such that it allowed good expansion at normal impact velocities for cartridges at the time. ...Read More >

Seventy-five years ago, Smith & Wesson and most major gun companies struggled financially. That was a result of the 10-plus years of the Great Depression that was followed by nearly four years of U.S. involvement in World War II. At this point, they had to transition manufacturing to focus on producing guns for civilians in order to survive. ...Read More >

The following is probably a bit nerdy for the typical handloader and, admittedly, of no practical use at the reloading bench. Practicality aside, however, you may find it useful for dropping a factoid in your next discussion with a fellow handloader on the matter of copper units of pressure (CUP) vs. transducer pounds per square inch (psi) cartridge pressure data. ...Read More >

When writing about the 6mm-284 in my column for Handloader No. 336 (February, 2022) I mentioned purchasing my first rifle chambered for that cartridge from a retired fireman who was an avid benchrest competitor, varmint shooter and deer hunter. His name was Herb Campbell and when he decided to sell his entire collection, I bought several others including a Winchester Model 70 in 220 Swift, two early Sako rifles in 218 Bee, 222 Remington Magnum and a 1940s vintage Mauser in 220 Rocket. ...Read More >

It may or may not be a record – $164,500 for a Winchester High Wall – but it’s certainly an unheard-of price for an auction lot that includes a box of assorted reloading tools. ...Read More >

Straight-walled cartridge regulations are a relatively new development spawned by the huge popularity of white-tailed deer hunting. For decades, the majority of Midwestern states allowed only shotgun slugs and muzzleloaders during general firearms seasons, based on concerns that high-velocity centerfire rounds would carry too far in populated areas. Straight-walled cartridge seasons and regulations were introduced to allow hunters to use their old lever and single-shot rifles chambered in rounds such as, say, the 45 Long Colt or 38-55 Winchester. ...Read More >

I am not sure how many years I have enjoyed the excellent performance of lead-alloy bullets cast by the talented people at Rim Rock Bullets, Inc., of Polson, Montana, but it has been long enough to send thousands down range from many rifles and handguns of various calibers. ...Read More >

The 40 S&W was formally introduced January 17, 1990, and was a joint effort between Smith & Wesson (S&W) and Winchester Ammunition, which was similar when the two companies worked together developing the 357 Magnum in 1935. It was enthusiastically received by shooters and many divisions of law enforcement including the FBI. As of this writing its popularity is best described as steady (i.e., not growing), but it is nonetheless popular with countless pistols produced. ...Read More >

It happened in a flash. A loud one at that. A primer went off while loading shot shells on my MEC 20-gauge, equipped with a primer feeder tray. The explosion scared me enough to let go of the lever. The spring-loaded lever banged up into the press and spilled primers all over, but there was no chain reaction. ...Read More >

The 8x56 Mannlicher-Schönauer (M-S) is a cartridge about which there are many questions and not enough answers – the main one being, why did it exist in the first place? ...Read More >